Tag: Debut Album

Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Gimme Three Steps”, Free Bird” And “Sweet Alabama”

While I wasn’t really a follower of U.S. Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd at the time, I became very familiar with three of their tracks from the early Seventies, namely “Gimme Three Steps”, Free Bird” and “Sweet Alabama”.

This was largely through working with a band in Germany called Nuthin’ Fancy who were big fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd – in fact I have only just learned that they took their name from their idols’ third album…

“Gimme Three Steps” didn’t chart when it was released as a single in 1973, but the debut album it was on (“Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronounced ‘lĕh-‘nérd ‘skin-‘nérd)”) went to No. 1 – here it is:

Also from that 1973 album was what was to become Lynyrd Skynyrd’s signature song, “Free Bird”, which reached No. 19 as a single in 1974, making it their second Top 40 hit.

After the tragic plane crash in October 1977 in which several band members, including singer Ronnie Van Zantz, were killed, “Free Bird” was only played as an instrumental for many years.

This is “Free Bird”, live in July 1977, just months before that defining event (takes a little while to get going, but it’s worth it):

Previously, Lynyrd Skynyrd had their first chart hit, at No. 8, with “Sweet Home Alabama” from their second album, “Second Helping”.

The response to Neil Young’s songs “Southern Man” and “Alabama” was somewhat controversial because of lines about the state’s governor, which some took to be an endorsement of his segregationalist views, an endorsement put down to a misunderstanding and denied by band members.

“Sweet Home Alabama” is another of those songs that has meanwhile become a rock anthem:

I think “Sweet Home Alabama” is one Lynyrd Skynyrd song that I did actually hear back in the Seventies already, and it’s definitely one you remember.

When did you first hear it?

Paul

P.S. Lynyrd Skynyrd is really hard to spell right consistently!!
Mother Goose – “Baked Beans” And “This Is The Life”

Last night by chance I came across an old favourite from New Zealand in the Seventies: Mother Goose singing their slightly ludicrous “Baked Beans” – which just goes to show you can make a rock song outof anything!

I had forgotten about Mother Goose, but they actually did pretty well for themselves, having coming up with the idea of mocking themselves by dressing up ridiculously when they performed in the South Island city of Dunedin and then nationally.

The more they made fun of themselves, the more popular they became: they broke attendance records accross Australasia, and their debut album “Stuffed” was Mushroom Records’ fastest selling album.

When they went to Australia, what later became top bands queued up to be their support acts, like Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, Men At Work and The Angels.

Their first national tour was with international, i.e. British, band Supercharge – this particularly got my attention because a flatmate of mine in Bamberg, Germany in the early Eighties was later in a blues band that had a number of gigs with Supercharge, including when they toured with Chuck Berry.

Mother Goose moved to the USA in 1978 for a year and did very well, with members of Kiss and Devo becoming fans of their shows in New York.

After returning to Australia the band continued to attract huge crowds there and also on tours in Canada, eventually breaking up in 1984, with a reunion in 2007 as part of a celebration of 30 years of the “Dunedin Sound”.

Here now is the “Baked Beans” video, which was so well received it even got shown on TV between prime time programmes in Australia and New Zealand:

Just to show they didn’t just do humour, here is “This Is The Life”, live in Dunedin, New Zealand:

Glad I chanced on this one again, hope you enjoyed it too. 🙂

Paul
The Clash – “Complete Control”, “I Fought The Law”, “London Calling”, “Train In Vain”, “The Magnificent Seven”, “Rock The Casbah” and “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”

The raw energy of the punk movement of the late Seventies was personified by UK band The Clash, whose most well known tracks include “Complete Control”, “I Fought The Law”, the iconic “London Calling”, “Train In Vain”, “The Magnificent Seven”, “Rock The Casbah” and “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”.

1977 track “Complete Control” was actually a criticism of their record label CBS for releasing a track as a single against their wishes:

From their debut album “The Clash”, “I Fought The Law” only appeared as a single in 1979:

It was followed by the single “London Calling” from the definitive album of the same name:

“Train In Vain”, from the same album, was only added at the last minute and not featured in the credits, yet became their first entry to the US Top 30:

Another piece full of vibrant energy – “The Magnificent Seven”:

Like many songs by The Clash, “Rock The Casbah” had a political background:

And finally, “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”, which in more recent times was used in a parody of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. When it was re-released early in 1991 it gave The Clash their first and only Number 1 single in the UK, five years after they broke up:

Some of the members continued to work together now and then, but years later The Clash frontman Joe Strummer (actually John Graham Mellor) died suddenly in December 2002, just weeks before the band was to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, ending any possibility of a reunion.

The legend lives on.

Paul

Tag: Debut Album

Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Gimme Three Steps”, Free Bird” And “Sweet Alabama”

Mother Goose – “Baked Beans” And “This Is The Life”

The Clash – “Complete Control”, “I Fought The Law”, “London Calling”, “Train In Vain”, “The Magnificent Seven”, “Rock The Casbah” and “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”